Beneath The Mask
by UponAtlas
Summary: Kaiden Grant and his second-in-command, Drake Stanford, are underground Miami's most infamous street racers and even more dangerous crime lords. But where had they came from, and why? What dark secrets lay beneath their masks? OOC. HPXOVER
1. Prologue

BENEATH THE MASK

Let's see..

**Disclaimer:** Really now? Is this really necessary for a site where work is obviously _fan_fiction?

**Warnings:** Cursing?

SUMMARY: Kaiden Grant and his second-in-command, Drake Stanford, are underground Miami's most infamous street racers and even more dangerous crime lords. Ever since they showed up in Miami, they hadn't lost a single race. Kaiden Grant and Drake Stanford were the Kings and everybody knew it. But where had they came from, and why? What dark secrets lay beneath their masks?

* * *

PROLOGUE

The two men were oblivious to the envious and heated stares they garnered as they twisted their bodies gracefully to the music, grinding a sinful dance together that had more than one head standing to attention. The dark haired beauty and his blonde haired companion shared a wicked grin as they ran hands over each others bodies, exploring and teasing. Finally the blonde smiled and stopped, smoothing down his clothing.

"Ready to blow this place, Kaiden?"

The dark haired beauty smiled and nodded as he straightened out his mussed up hair. "Anytime you are, Drake."

Kaiden Grant was, for lack of a better word, gorgeous. His messy jet black hair was cut haphazardly in layers with a fringe that fell to just above his unforgettable eyes. Vibrant emerald greens stood out on the chiselled face of the young man and his body was lithe, a tight shirt outlining his taut muscles. Tight black jeans clad long legs as a white tee adorned his upper body. Under the strobe lights of the club, a diamond cross earring sparkled on his left ear and a similar diamond sparkled in a stud on the cartilage of his right ear. On his neck rested a choker with three emeralds on it, and an army dog tag on a chain that read _Emerald_. Drake Stanford was just as gorgeous as his dark haired companion. Almost the opposite of his friend, he had platinum blonde hair that stopped just shy of his nape, the ends tapering into a thin point as it reached the top of his shoulder. Stormy grey eyes captured your attention on a thin, but not overly so, face with high cheekbones. Tight dark blue jeans covered his legs as a black dress shirt covered his lean torso with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A Rolex watch sat on his wrist and a choker with a single obsidian stone in it lay on his neck. He also had a dog tag on a chain, exactly the same as Kaiden's except that it read _Dragon_.

Together, the two of them stopped hearts.

Kaiden weaved his way out of the club, Drake following close behind him. Kaiden couldn't help but savour the pride welling up instead him as he looked at his car parked in one of the two VIP parking spaces. The Nissan Skyline GT-R was his baby, his pride and joy. The Skyline had a fluorescent green paintjob with green neon lights underneath and a black hood that had _Kaiden James_ scrawled across it in cursive script, his own, via a customised decal. He had also tinted the windows black. Drake ruffled his hair playfully as he walked by to get to his own car, parked in the other VIP parking space. Drake's car was a fluorescent orange Ferrari F430 with orange neon lights underneath, black hood and windows tinted black. He had scrawled across his hood his own decal in cursive script that said _Drake M_.

"Stop ogling your ride and just get in it, bro."

Kaiden rolled his eyes but unlocked his car and slid in gracefully. His engine started with a smooth purr that had him grinning in delight before he put his foot down the pedal and shot out of the parking lot, tires squealing. They drove nose to nose, with Kaiden's car in reverse. Kaiden smiled at Drake through their windscreens as he let out an exhilarated laugh; driving blind gave him an adrenaline rush like no tomorrow.

~BTM~

Heavy bass filled the air as tricked up cars and their drivers milled around talking and barely clothed racer chasers walked around flaunting their bodies. The normally relaxed atmosphere was supercharged with tension and excitement as a race was organised, four cars already on the line; Slap Jack, Orange Julius, Brian 'Bullet' O'Conner, and Suki.

"Yo, where's your fifth at?" A black man with an afro questioned, waving his hand at the empty fifth lane. Tej Parker; ex-racer, organiser and the man to know in Miami.

"He had to work the graveyard shift." Jack explained.

"_Graveyard_ shift?" Tej repeated with an incredulous raise of his eyebrows. Jack shrugged. "Well, y'all aren't racing unless you find a fifth." He said as he waved a walkie talkie towards the racers lined up, making them grumble.

"We should find two. So we don't have to roll with skirt here." Julius shouted, chortling as he gestured to Suki. Suki rolled her eyes as she gave him the finger.

"Look, how about _I_ just find y'all a fifth?" Tej asked as his eyes met familiar emerald green in the crowd, a mischievous smile unfurling upon his face.

The racers nodded in agreement, eager to get the race started. Tej nodded his head towards an unknown individual without calling out a name, making the four racers turn around where they stood in confusion. That it, until the familiar revving of an engine made the only female racer on the line pale and utter a fervent "oh shit". The other three looked confused until they saw the fluorescent green paintjob of the Skyline and the orange Ferrari following it.

"_Merde_." The Spanish man cursed. Jack just sighed and silently said his goodbyes to his money. Brian was a newbie to Miami's race scene so he just watched silently, not knowing what was going on. Up until this day, Brian had always considered himself straight but he immediately reconsidered his assessment of his sexual orientation when he saw the occupants of the two cars.

The orange Ferrari parked to the side and out got a hot blonde man who sat on his hood with a serene look, ignoring the screaming racer chasers that tried to get his attention.

"Who is that?" Brian muttered to Suki, who was parked beside him.

"That's Drake Stanford," Suki supplied helpfully. The Skyline pulled up to the starting line and the door opened to reveal black denim clad legs. Kaiden Grant stepped out of his car gracefully and dipped his head to the cheering crowd with a sexy grin. Her lips pulled up in a wry smile when she heard Brian's intake of breath at the sight of the raven haired man. "And _that _is Kaiden Grant. He and Drake are the very definitions of the word player; so thankfully, they only bat for your team."

Brian had to swallow hard to get his heart to keep beating. Without a doubt, he was definitely more bisexual. And quite possibly just _gay_.

Kaiden turned to look at the other racers as he sat down on the hood of his car. "What's up, Suki." He greeted, wrapping the approaching girl into a hug.

Suki smiled at him. "What's up, Kaiden."

Kaiden and Drake both regarded the Japanese girl as their little sister. But as close as Drake was to Suki, Kaiden may as well have been her real brother because blood couldn't make them any closer. Kaiden was fiercely protective of her and when she had first started racing, he had refused to let her compete. His conditions were that until she could drive by his standards, she would stay out of the races. And now, here she was; one of the best street racers that Miami had to offer. Of course, Kaiden had learnt from the best, so the credit of teaching the girl couldn't really go to him.

Tej Parker walked over to the raven haired man with a wide smile. "Sup, Kaiden."

"How you doin', Tej?"

"Good, man, good. Thanks for asking. You ready to race?"

"You know I always am." Kaiden replied with a grin, just before his eyes finally noticed Brian. He slowly stood up and his eyes roamed over the lean body even as he handed Tej the money. "And who, may I ask, is this, Suki?" He asked as he looked at the blonde haired, blue eyed man.

"Brian O'Conner." Brian spoke up for himself, his voice confident even though he felt like his insides were made out of jelly at the heat in the other man's eyes. A predatory smirk spread across Kaiden's full lips as he locked eyes with him.

"Let's see you race, Brian O'Conner." Kaiden said before he turned and opened his car door. He threw Drake a quick two-fingered salute**[1]** as was their long standing tradition before he slid into the Skyline and pulled the door shut.

He wound his window, along with the passenger side window, down. Looking out, he locked eyes with Drake, who was lounging on the hood of his Ferrari, and revved his car, chuckling at his friend's cocky smirk. Kaiden didn't break eye contact with Drake as he waited.

"Ready-"

"Set-"

"GO!"

Without breaking eye contact, Kaiden slammed his foot down on the gas and sped off first, the others only managing to keep him in their line of sight. He let out an exhilarated laugh at the adrenaline that racing blind (since his eyes were on Drake) brought him. After a while, Kaiden started to weave his car in twists and turns on the empty road as the race wore on, bored, since everyone was far back. He sighed when he saw the raised bridge; he was having a lot of fun imprinting his tire tracks onto the road. Suddenly, a blue and silver Nissan Skyline appeared in his rear view mirror and he smirked. Time to work his magic; Kaiden snorted at his own thoughts. He ripped the handbrake and did a burnout in a circle around Brian's car. Kaiden smiled compellingly as his car drifted past Brian's window, his eyes locked on the blonde's face.

"You're not too bad, O'Conner. We should go out sometime. I know a great Cuban restaurant." He winked and when the car completed the circle, he straightened it up and hit the NOS. Just before the car was launched off the bridge, Kaiden aligned the car to the middle of the bridge, hitting the other shot of NOS and making the Skyline shoot across the gap. He reached the finish line first and decided to give the crowd a show. Instead of just stopping, he kept the speed as it was before pulling on the handbrake and slamming the steering wheel to the left, creating a skid mark in the shape of an L on the road and presenting his smirking face to the cheering crowd. He got out with his smirk firmly in place as he bumped fists with Drake who was smirking proudly. Squealing tires announced the arrival of the other racers. Kaiden's predatory smirk grew as he locked eyes with his blonde boy who was just stepping out of his car. "Hold up Drake, I've got booty to claim."

Drake rolled his eyes but nodded for his friend to go ahead. As the other three racers mingled, he quickly caught up to the blonde before he could do much more than close his car door. Kaiden pushed Brian back against the door of his Nissan and caught his lips with his own, his hands caging the blonde in as they gripped onto the roof of Brian's car.

"Kaiden-? Kaiden…" Brian moaned as Kaiden's lips moved against his own. Kaiden stepped back and ran his eyes over him slowly. Mussed blonde hair, flushed cheeks and red lips. Gorgeous. Kaiden smirked.

"I'll see you around, Brian O'Conner." He gave him a two-fingered salute before strolling back to his car. Suddenly police sirens sounded all around them, causing instant chaos as everyone rushed to get away. Kaiden looked around with a disapproving frown at his party being crashed, before he got into his car and drove off, unhurried to escape the police. With the _notice-me-not_ in place – there was no need.

But Brian didn't have the same luck.

* * *

**[1]** – This is when you salute but with only two fingers, not the other two-fingered salute (if you don't know what this is, I'm not going to say it) hahaha

_Merde_ – shit

**AN: Let me know what you think. :)**

**Cheers,**

_UponAtlas._


	2. Chapter 1

BENEATH THE MASK

Here we go..

**Disclaimer:** I mean, really? If I owned HP or Fast and Furious I would be out making millions, not pleading for reviews on a fanfiction site.

**Warning:** Eh. More cursing I guess.

SUMMARY: Kaiden Grant and his second-in-command, Drake Stanford, are underground Miami's most infamous street racers and even more dangerous crime lords. Ever since they showed up in Miami, they hadn't lost a single race. Kaiden Grant and Drake Stanford were the Kings and everybody knew it. But where had they came from, and why? What dark secrets lay beneath their masks?

* * *

CHAPTER 1

Oh. Shit.

Those two words were the only words running through Brian's head at this moment in time. The Customs officer glared at him, throwing a thick manila folder onto the table. Brian stared resolutely at the table, his mind racing. What on earth had he done that warranted _Customs_ interrogating him? He'd never even left the country for crying out loud.

"So, how long have you been in South Florida?"

"A while." Brian drawled as he lounged on the hard chair they had thrown him on.

"And before that?"

He just rolled his neck as he stretched his legs out.

"We know you're Brian O'Conner. Formerly of the LAPD."

Surely this all wasn't about how he dropped out of the force? "Man, you've got the wrong guy." Brian denied as he traced nonsensical patterns on the steel table. The door of the interrogation room opened and when Brian's stomach filled with dread when he glanced up. _Shit_.

"How are you, O'Conner?"

Three months! He had managed to evade them for three months with no troubles whatsoever. Yet, the moment that he gets kissed senseless by a stranger who was gorgeous _and_ knew how to race, the cops show up to drag his sorry ass back to Bilkins. He sighed as he slouched back in the chair. "Just peachy, Bilkins. Just peachy."

Bilkins smirked. "Let's take a walk O'Conner."

The Customs agent threw Bilkins the key with a smirk, which he used to unlock the handcuffs on Brian's wrists. Brian rubbed at his wrists as he stood up and followed Bilkins out, where they walked to what looked like a large conference room. Brian was about to dismiss the whole room and just drop into a seat when his wandering eyes caught sight of the projector and the face on it. Bilkins took a seat next to him as the Customs agent walked in with another beside him. "This is Agent Markham; you'll be assisting him in his investigation."

"What if I don't? What's in it for me?" Brian countered. He wasn't going to work for Customs and the Feds; he had given up playing for the law, and he wasn't going back without a fight.

Bilkins calmly passed him a manila file. "Well, here's a list of all the laws you broke between here and L.A. Obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting; you know the rap sheet. You're looking at a very long prison sentence. But we could make it all go away, in the interest of justice. _If_ you're willing to play ball."

Brian was silent as he looked over his rap sheet, flipping the sheet over to see another full page beneath it. Jesus. Why on earth did he have to break so many laws? Finally, he looked up with a resigned sigh. "Fine. Lay it on me."

Agent Markham gestured to the projector screen. "Kaiden James Grant. Twenty-three year old male." The picture changed. "Drake Marcus Stanford. Twenty-four year old male. Both are originally from Britain. They came to America when Grant was nineteen and Stanford was twenty, though the reasons for it are unknown. They spent three years in Los Angeles with Dominic Toretto and his team before moving here last year. They own a nightclub called _Emerald Dragon_, which we believe is their centre of operations."

Brian felt his chest tighten at the mention of Dom and the crew. He would do _anything_ to take back every single mistake he had made last year. Mistakes that he would regret for the rest of his life. The screen changed again, this time to a picture of them both. "Kaiden Grant and Drake Stanford are known more infamously as the 'Kings' of the streets. And they've got every single underground member under their thumbs. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens without their approval. Unfortunately, they approve everything that we wouldn't." Markham looked grim. "It's no coincidence that everywhere these two are, crime skyrockets and more people are reported either missing or dead. Lately, intel shows that they've been getting ready for something big with Carter Verone who owns the biggest import-export business in Miami; he's also one of the biggest drug cartels in the country. You are to get close to Grant. Find out what the deal is and what they're doing with Verone. Agent Dunn will be your partner and he will be working on cracking Stanford. You do this for us," Markham gestured towards the rap sheet. "And we'll clear your record."

Brian mulled it over in his head for a long moment to string along the Fed before he sighed and stood up, strolling over to Agent Dunn. "So, Dunn. Looks like me and you are gonna be partners bro." Brian shook hands with the bewildered Dunn. "Just tell me something real quick. What would be a better engine for my Skyline; a Gallo 12 or a Gallo 24?"

"Uh. 24?"

"I didn't know pizza places made motors." Brian said flatly, gesturing towards the Gallo's Pizza drink in Dunn's hand, before turning to look at Markham. "See man? If this is what you're gonna give me, I might as well take my chances in Chino." Brian turned to Bilkins. "There's only gonna be one way that I'm doing it. And that's if I get to pick the driver."

"Alright, O'Conner." Bilkins relented. "Who have you got in mind?"

"This dude I grew up with in Barstow. Roman Pearce."

~BTM~

Kaiden rolled his eyes, bored beyond belief, as he watched cars smashing into other cars in the big dirt compound. Barstow was fucking dusty; something you'd expect from a town in the middle of the desert. And their idea of sport, car smashing, was fucking barbaric. How Drake found this shit interesting, he'd never know. Or, actually, maybe he did.

Kaiden watched with bright eyes as Drake's eyes stayed glued on the African American man getting out of his car, having been declared the winner. His eyes darted from Drake to the man before a wide smirk crossed his lips. At least Drake had good taste; the African American was a god, for lack of a better word, despite participating in the archaic desert sport.

"I'll just leave you to it then, Drake. I'll be in the car." Kaiden said with a chuckle as he walked off and slid into Drake's Ferrari to wait out his friend in a blissfully air conditioned environment. He watched with an amused smile as Drake sauntered up to his new piece of booty. He didn't have to hear their conversation to know exactly how Drake was playing the man. He knew his man whore of a friend all to well. But his amused eyes widened when he realised that the African American was dominating the kiss, and that Drake was _letting _him. He knew instantly that this man wasn't going to be just another booty call, just another one night stand for Drake. He also knew that if this man hurt Drake… The fucker had better know how to run, and run fast. Because if Kaiden caught up with him – only one of them would be walking out of it alive, and it sure as well wouldn't be the one that hurt Drake.

He waited patiently as Drake broke off the kiss and pressed a piece of paper into the other man's hand. As soon as Drake was in the car, Kaiden revved the engine of Drake's Ferrari and shot off. Drake slowly came down from his high, a stupid smile spread across his lips. Despite how tightly wound he was, Kaiden was still amused by the sight.

"You're tense, Kaiden."

"I'm fine. What had you leaving in a hurry?"

Drake glanced at the raven haired man in the driver's seat. He knew Kaiden. And he had known the moment he asked that Kaiden would deny it, even if it was true. "Cops. Coming for Rome."

"So that's his name." Kaiden commented.

"Yeah. Roman Pearce." This time the silence in the Ferrari was slightly more bearable than before. Drake noticed that some of the tension had disappeared from Kaiden. Kaiden was worried for him, Drake realised.

"Drake."

"Hmm?"

"I'll always have your back." Drake looked at Kaiden, who was staring at him intently, his emerald green eyes serious and conveying the unspoken words.

Drake was silent for a long time. He knew that Kaiden was talking about the mental just as much as he was talking about the physical. He knew that Kaiden was talking about what would happen to Rome if the African American ever stepped out of line. "I know." He said quietly, the corners of his lips curling up into a soft, true smile as he looked towards the younger man that he called his brother. "I know."

~BTM~

"Is that your boy in the Monte Carlo?"

"Yeah. He's crazy as hell." Brian said with a chuckle. "In a good way though. He's the man for the job." He amended as he glanced at Bilkins' wary expression. They both watched Rome climb out of the destroyed Monte Carlo, the crowd screaming his name.

"He always said he'd be famous." Brian noted, a soft smile on his face as he looked at his childhood friend. After losing him for a brief moment as the crowd surged out of the derby as one, they spotted him outside of the derby, looking at a slip of paper with a small smile. "Hey, Pearce. Roman Pearce!"

Brian glanced over at Bilkins. "Hey, whatever happens next… Just let it go." At Bilkins' nod, he whistled. "Rome!"

The African-American slowed, carefully folding the paper and slipping it into his pocket, before he turned around with a furious scowl. "Only my homeboys called me Rome. _Pig_."

"I'm not a cop anymore, bro."

Rome glanced at Bilkins standing in the background. "Is that true? Blondie here ain't a cop anymore?"

"That's right." Bilkins confirmed. "No badge."

Rome rolled his neck as he glared at Brian for a long moment, before he balled up his fist and threw a vicious right hook at him. Brian ducked and they both tumbled to the ground, fists flying. "You should've told me! I did three years because of you, Brian!"

"I told you it wasn't my fault!" Brian shouted, pinning the other man in a chokehold.

"What the hell are you doing here, O'Conner? I told you to stay away from me!"

"I've got a deal for you."

Rome grunted as he rolled himself back on top, kicking the blonde in the side, before throwing himself onto the dirty ground, effectively ending the tussle. "When I needed your ass you were nowhere to be found. And now you're handing out deals?" He stood up with a hiss, reaching down to readjust the band around his ankle.

"I need you to come to Miami and drive with me. If you do, they'll take off that anklet and clear your entire record."

Rome scowled at him before he walked over to his camper caravan, where Bilkins was seated outside. "Is this deal legit?"

Bilkins nodded. "That's right, if you do this job for us."

"I told you." Brian muttered.

Rome glared at him. "Shut up, punk."

"Man, quit playing like you're gonna pass this up." Brian said with a smirk. Rome just muttered curses under his breath as he threw some sand at the blonde before yanking open the door to his caravan.

~BTM~

Brian sat staring blankly at the wall as he waited for Markham and Bilkins to finish briefing Rome. He noticed absentmindedly that they had given his friend a decided less detailed briefing then the one they had given him. He dragged his attention back to the present when they mentioned cars.

"On the topic of cars; do you know how long I worked on that Nissan Skyline? Which Nissan Skyline, you ask? The one that you guys short circuited and _fried_ with your ESD**[1]**. Yes, _that_ Nissan Skyline." Brian told Bilkins with an irritated frown, his outburst so unlike him. But he thought he was fully justified in this instance. Every time he thought about his ruined silver Skyline, he just got _so_ irritated. He had worked on that car for god knows how long with Dom; it held memories of a year of normality and acceptance, one that he longed to return to.

He smiled indulgently as Rome whooped in joy at seeing the two cars that the FBI was providing them. Rome announced that he was taking the purple Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS Spyder convertible, to which Brian just responded with a shrug as he climbed into the gold Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII. He was too preoccupied with his conflicting thoughts on the sheer absurdity of going undercover against _Kaiden Grant_, street king and supposed mafia boss, to notice the drool worthy cars and their equally drool worthy rims. He completely disregarded the conversation between Rome and the undercover Customs agent, Monica Fuentes; even when she slid into his car with him.

Brian shook his head lightly as he slipped the key into the ignition; he had probably just signed his life away by agreeing to do this. Still shaking his head, he put his foot to the pedal and shot out of there, the Eclipse on his tail. Brian silently got ready for the ride of his life.

He had to be if he wanted to make it out alive.

* * *

**[1] **– ESD stands for Electronic System Disabler.

**AN: Yay or nay?**

**Cheers,**

_UponAtlas._


	3. Chapter 2

BENEATH THE MASK

Lets see..

**Disclaimer:** I'll own the HP and F&F series when the pigs begin to fly and unicorns exist as more than mythical creatures and Melbourne High's school crest.

**Warning:** It's mostly just cursing.

SUMMARY: Kaiden Grant and his second-in-command, Drake Stanford, are underground Miami's most infamous street racers and even more dangerous crime lords. Ever since they showed up in Miami, they hadn't lost a single race. Kaiden Grant and Drake Stanford were the Kings and everybody knew it. But where had they come from, and why? What dark secrets lay beneath their masks?

* * *

CHAPTER 2

A cool mid morning breeze ruffled raven and blonde hair alike as the two men lounged beside the pool. Kaiden yawned, as he turned disinterested eyes to his fair haired companion. "What are we doing here, Drake? This guy's a slime ball. He'll double cross us."

Drake smirked confidently. "He knows what would happen if he did." The blonde responded, a dark edge to his voice.

Kaiden chuckled as he pulled his aviators down to shade his eyes from the burning Miami sun. The past two days had been fairly… _interesting_ to say the least. After all, he had never been so goddamn _bored _before in his entire life. It was a fairly amusing experience – for Drake. Kaiden had wanted nothing more than to beat his head against a wall. After they had gotten back from Barstow, Kaiden had been reduced to sticking his head into the hood of his finely tuned, practically perfect Skyline, in a sad excuse for an activity. When Drake had told him about a business meeting he had jumped at the chance of doing something, anything. But to associate with underworld filth like this? He hated the slime ball and no matter what anyone said, he would always hate the slime ball. The money wasn't worth the trouble; he knew a double crosser when he saw one.

Hearing sudden activity from the house and Drake's low delighted chuckle had him opening his eyes. What he saw had him grinning insanely just like his fair haired friend. On second thoughts, perhaps this trip was worth it after all. He watched as his blonde and Drake's new interest walking along the other side of the pool to sit at the large table laden with breakfast. A wicked smirk spread across Kaiden's full lips. "What say we go greet the guests of our new business partner? What do you think, Drake? Our shirts are at the table, should we go get new ones or just go shirtless?" Kaiden asked with a grin.

"What the hell makes you think I would say shirts on, Kaiden?" Drake deadpanned. Kaiden let out a loud laugh, effectively focusing the newcomers' attentions on them. He sat up and stretched, making sure his upper body was turned towards his blonde, before standing up. He hiked his tight low riding jeans up a little, so that they weren't in danger off falling off his ass completely, before he sauntered over to the duo sitting at the table with Drake right beside him. A slow smirk spread across his lips when he noticed Brian checking him out, blue eyes lingering on his exposed torso and abs.

He slid into the seat opposite Brian and reached for a grape, sucking the small fruit into his mouth with a quiet _pop_. He slipped his aviators off and laid them on his head, watching avidly as Brian swallowed, loving the affect his shirtless body was having on his blonde. "Brian." He greeted, inclining his head to the other man.

"Kaiden." Brian replied with a smile, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

Kaiden silently moaned, and was just about to lean over and kiss the blonde senseless when Verone's booty call walked over.

"Boys! Shirts on at the table." Monica said, throwing their shirts at them from where they lay on another chair.

Drake stood up and pulled his shirt on, buttoning it. "We were just about to leave anyway. Tell Carter we accept." He commanded. Monica nodded as she sat down, crossing her slim legs. Kaiden stood up and watched Brian's eyes follow his every move. He caught the blonde's disappointed expression when he slipped his tee on over his head.

He leant down so that his mouth was next to his blonde's ear. "Don't worry, Brian. You'll be seeing much more of this soon enough." Kaiden whispered, his voice pitched low to get a reaction out of his blonde. He smirked as Brian shivered. He straightened up and strode over to Drake, lifting his aviators from his head to pull over his eyes again.

Drake shook his head when they were at their cars. "You are such a tease, Kaiden." Kaiden just grinned. "Where to now?"

"We go see Tej, and our little sister." He replied as he slid into his Skyline. They left Verone's estate with tires squealing.

~BTM~

Loud bass was in the air when Kaiden and Drake pulled into _Tej's Garage_, parking in the bay that only they and a small handful of others were allowed to park in. They climbed out of their cars and strolled into the garage.

"Sup Jimmy." Kaiden greeted the Asian mechanic with his head stuck in the hood of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI that he had asked Jimmy to look over for him. The STI was a gorgeous car in its own right, but it had nothing on his Skyline. Jimmy pulled his head out and grinned as he nodded back, his head bopping to the music playing out back. Kaiden and Drake walked through the shop to the back, where Tej's garage overlooked a fantastic lake. It was here where everyone was gathered. Drake went to greet the man with the 'fro, as Kaiden steered himself towards Suki, who was trying to discourage a young man pestering her for a date.

"Suki."

The Japanese girl looked up at the sound of his voice and smiled brightly. "Hi, Kaiden." She kissed him on the cheek as he settled down beside her, his arm around her waist.

"Is this kid bothering you?" Kaiden asked. "I can mess his face up a little if you want. Or maybe a lot if he thinks he can fuck around with my little sister." Kaiden growled lowly, _avada _green eyes pinning the terrified youth in place.

"Kaiden, it's alright." Suki said, patting his arm. She motioned for the guy to scram, and the punk quickly obeyed, recognising the man for who he was – Kaiden Grant, the King of the streets. "What's got you all worked up?"

Kaiden shrugged. "Nothing. I just don't like that guy."

"You say that about every guy." Suki grinned briefly before her face grew solemn and she looked at him. "Really though, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." He denied.

"Kaiden." Suki's voice was flat.

Kaiden looked down into her chocolate brown eyes, reading the worry in them. Worry that he had put there. He sighed and looked away as he muttered, "I'm a lousy brother."

"You're not a lousy brother, Kaiden."

"Yes, I am, Suki! What kind of brother allows his sister to race in lethal street races? What kind of brother allows his sister to get into the death contraption of a car that we all drive? What kind of brother allows his sister to be in the face of such danger time and time again? A shit brother, that's what!"

"A brother that trusts his sister to know what to do if something goes wrong. A brother that knows his sister is an independent person who can decide things for herself. A brother who loves his sister enough to respect her wishes and her decisions." Suki said as she gently pulled his face back to look at hers. "You're a fantastic brother, Kaiden, you respect that I am my own person, and I love you so much for it. You aren't, and will never be a lousy brother to me!" Suki said fiercely as she stared up into his reluctant green eyes.

Kaiden stared into her eyes for a long time, the worry now replaced with concern, trust and love. Without warning he pulled the smaller girl into his arms in a tight hug. "Thank you." He said quietly into her ear. "Thank you. I needed that."

Suki pulled back and flashed him the bright grin that he loved seeing on the Japanese girl. "That's what sisters are for, Kaiden." She said warmly before she curled back into his side. They sat in a content silence as they watched Drake and Tej arm wrestle. Drake finally lost to the black man and came over to them with shots of tequila in his hands. Suki laughed at the blonde's pout, making Kaiden's lips quirk up in a half grin. His wandering eyes caught sight of a yellow Lancer Evo VII and purple Eclipse GTS Spyder pull up, and when he saw the Lancer's driver step out, his half grin turned into something more. He stood up and threw back his shot, swallowing with a pleased hum as he sauntered over.

"Where are you going, Kaiden?" Suki called after him.

"To claim some booty!" Kaiden threw back over his shoulder with a grin. Loud laughter followed him out, one voice deep and the other sounding like wind chimes. They were two sounds that he would never get tired of hearing.

~BTM~

Brian pulled into the parking lot of _Tej's garage_ with a troubled frown. There was something… _off_ about their cars. He walked over to Jimmy when the Asian mechanic nodded to him.

"Sup, Bullet."

"What's up, Jimmy-" Brian began, before Tej's voice interrupted him.

"Hey, tell me something man. Do I even want to know where you've been these past couple of days, dawg? Or what the fuck happened to the Skyline? And where the _hell_ you get these rides from?" Tej asked, his voice hard. He wasn't looking forward to the inevitable explosion when Kaiden found out that his new booty call had destroyed a Skyline. Hell, he wasn't looking forward to fixing the inevitable damages to his garage after a rampaging Kaiden was through with it.

Brian shrugged. "Probably not, Tej. Jimmy, I need you to do me a favour. I want you to check out the Evo and Spyder over there for me. Is that alright?"

"Evo? Where'd you get an Evo from?" The Asian asked with wide eyes.

"It's a long story." Brian replied as his eyes locked with Tej's.

Jimmy nodded. "Alright, alright. I got you." Jimmy hummed along to the bass in the background as he stuck his head into the hood of the Evo and then the Spyder.

"So what's up, Jimmy? Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

"Nah, both of them are wired up like I've never seen before."

Brian released a frustrated sigh. "They've got us wired up with GPS, that's how Markham knew we were going to be at that impound lot."

Rome turned to look at the Asian, who stuck his head back in the hood to fiddle around. "Hey man, you're the master mechanic. Why don't you just yank that shit out?"

Jimmy frowned slightly. "Well, I'll try, but this ain't low jack. The DIS box, the engine management system, the main harness… The GPS is spidered into all of that. Hell, whoever is tracking these cars will know whenever you don't wear your seatbelt." Jimmy pulled his head back out. "That all you need, Bullet?"

"Yeah, that's cool Jimmy. Thanks, bro."

Finally Tej shrugged and turned away from the blue eyes of his friend. "Whatever. Just don't look to me for help when Kaiden kicks your pretty boy face in for destroying a Skyline, and when Drake razes you to the ground for making Kaiden angry enough to kick your face in, in the first place." Tej stated, before he disappeared out back. Jimmy let out a low laugh.

"Oh _snap_. You're in for it now, Brian."

"What?"

"Emerald-" When Brian just looked at him blankly, Jimmy elaborated. "It's Kaiden's street name. He absolutely loves Skylines. And he absolutely _hates_ it when somebody fucks one up. Drake, or Dragon, is Kaiden's best friend and he hates it when somebody hurts Kaiden. And destroying a Skyline is something that hurts Kaiden, in a weird Kaiden way."

"So, in other words…"

"You're screwed." Jimmy told him with a bright smile. Brian looked away from Jimmy's dancing eyes in time to see vivid emerald eyes locked on him as Kaiden stalked towards him.

_Oh fuck._

* * *

**AN: Thanks for reading, drop me a review to tell me how it is, how your day went, what you ate for breakfast, just whatever. Talk to me guys, I don't bite :) haha.**

**Cheers,**

_UponAtlas._


	4. Chapter 3

BENEATH THE MASK

Lets see..

**Disclaimer:** If only, if only the woodpecker sighs...

**Warning:** It's mostly just cursing.

SUMMARY: Kaiden Grant and his second-in-command, Drake Stanford, are underground Miami's most infamous street racers and even more dangerous crime lords. Ever since they showed up in Miami, they hadn't lost a single race. Kaiden Grant and Drake Stanford were the Kings and everybody knew it. But where had they came from, and why? What dark secrets lay beneath their masks?

* * *

CHAPTER 3

Green eyes watched, bemused, as Tej stormed back to the party with a ferocious scowl on his face. With a small shrug, the raven haired man continued outside, his eyes focused on his goal. His sensitive ears caught the tail end of the conversation that his blonde was having with the mechanic.

"-and destroying a Skyline is something that hurts Kaiden, in a weird Kaiden way."

"So in other words…"

"You're screwed."

Kaiden watched as Brian swallowed hard at the sight of him approaching. He ignored the urge to smirk as he nodded towards the Asian mechanic salivating over the gold Evo. Jimmy shot him a quick grin before he ambled off to the party, occasionally shooting awed looks back at the car. Kaiden didn't say a single word as he walked right up to Brian and caged him in between his arms in the same manner as the first time. He was silent as he stared intently at his blonde, who had his eyes cast down, tracing his face with his eyes. "You destroyed it." It was a statement, not a question. He noticed as the blonde tensed between his arms and his eyes flew up to meet Kaiden's emerald greens. Kaiden watched Brian's Adams apple bob up and down as he swallowed again.

"How'd you know?"

"It's written all over your face. But the real question is; what I'm I going to do about it." Kaiden said flatly, watching him curiously for his reaction.

"Who says you have to do anything it all?" Brian countered, his eyes hard with annoyance. Kaiden cocked an eyebrow at him. "It's not any of your business."

"You made it my business when you desecrated a Skyline." Kaiden murmured, his voice dangerously low. "You made it my business when you rolled yourself into my life, into my scene. You made it my business when you thought you could roll with _Verone_ without some blood being shed." He leant in closer, his lips brushing the shell of Brian's ear. "None of my racers are permitted to drive for another source. No one. Not even you, blondie." Kaiden released a low chuckle. "Especially not you."

Kaiden leant back again to meet blue eyes. Brian's eyes hardened with defiance for a long moment as the blonde stared into Kaiden's eyes, reminding the raven with a jolt of another with bright blues similar to the blonde's. He was reminded harshly of bright blue eyes from his past, blue eyes drilling into his own as he and another man stood together akin to how he was now with his blonde, though their positions were decidedly reversed. Kaiden pulled himself out of the memory in time to see Brian's eyes as they flickered suddenly and he dropped his eyes to the ground in a show of submission. Kaiden frowned; he was enjoying the blonde's spirit. No, this wasn't right. He had chosen the blonde for a reason, and it wasn't to have another compliant doll whimpering at his feet. Kaiden lifted a hand from where it rested on the roof of the Evo, which caused Brian to tense further as he waited for the blow that would never come. Instead, Kaiden only grabbed the blonde's chin gently in his long fingers. "Look at me." Kaiden commanded softly.

Blue eyes rose warily to look into his green ones. Kaiden gazed into the blue depths for a long time before a small smile upturned his lips. Without any warning, the raven tipped his head and crushed his lips against the startled blonde's in a deep kiss. Kaiden's eyes fluttered closed as he savoured the feel of soft lips against his own before drawing back to stare into his blonde's eyes again. "Never again." Kaiden commanded, his voice husky, his eyes half lidded. "You drive for me, and me only."

Brian nodded, his eyes bright as he licked his lips. Kaiden wanted to chuckle when Brian finally realised with a start that he was staring _down_ at Kaiden, who was a few inches shorter than the blonde was. Kaiden knew his commanding aura made it seem otherwise, giving others the illusion that he was so much taller than he actually was. Brian swallowed hard as Kaiden looked up at him through long lashes, a pink tongue darting out to lick at full lips. Kaiden had to fight had to keep his chuckle in. With a smirk, Kaiden pushed himself away from the car and stalked out back to rejoin the party.

"Tease." Kaiden heard whispered hoarsely from his blonde. His smirk grew wider as he strolled back to the party.

~BTM~

Kaiden was a jerk, a controlling asshole that was a contradiction of all the unwritten laws, Brian fumed. He sticks up for himself and the man gets angry, he _submits_ and the asshole gets angry. Kaiden Grant was an asshole not worth worrying about.

At least, that's what Brian told himself as he danced with a random girl in a barely there bikini in an attempt to get his mind off of the raven and their scorching kiss. She backed into him seductively as she sent him a coy look over her shoulder. They moved together to the beat, her back rubbing against his front provocatively for a long moment before Brian gave up on the idea of trying to forget the other man. He rested his hands on her hips to still her, leaning down to reach her ears as he spoke loud enough to be heard over the music. "Sorry, I'm not into girls." _Well not anymore, _he thought, his mind flashing once more to the heated kiss he had shared with Kaiden earlier that day.

Her sultry smile morphed into a genuine smile as she turned around. "It's nice to find a man who's not afraid to tell the world he's into men. Homophobia's overrated." She grinned as she patted him on the arm. "I'm Trina."

"Brian." He told her with a smile.

"So who's the lucky stud taking up your time? Is he gorgeous?" Brian's eyes strayed towards the VIP section. Kaiden was standing as he pulled off his shirt to better cope with the humid air, revealing his toned upper body. The raven noticed him staring and sent him a slow wink. Trina followed the blonde's eyes and laughed when Brian's cheeks lit up with a blush. "Kaiden Grant? Damn, you sure know how to pick 'em; he's gorgeous alright."

Brian spent the rest of the evening talking to Trina and getting to know her and was genuinely having a good time when his phone rang. He picked it up absentmindedly without checking the caller I.D, but his mind cleared abruptly as the owner of the voice registered. He said his goodbyes to Trina before he made his way over to where Rome was chatting up a couple of girls. Brian pulled him aside with a smile at the girls. "Rome."

"I'm working my magic here, Brian." Rome said with an exasperated eye roll.

"Monica called. She said we should get to the club; Verone is expecting us." Roman sobered up and nodded. He followed the blonde as they slipped out of the party and climbed into their cars. Their eyes met for a moment before Brian nodded determinedly and they shot out of the parking lot.

~BTM~

It was nearing eleven at night and the VIP section was serene as everyone relaxed and bantered with each other. Kaiden's phone vibrated from his back pocket. It was with relaxed hands that the raven removed his phone. His eyes narrowed for a second as he read the name on the caller I.D. Suki rolled her eyes at him when he glanced over at her, making him grin in return. He knew exactly how he looked reclining on a beach couch, his shirt off and a barely-there bikini clad girl sitting on his lap – straight. Too bad for the girl that she had all the wrong parts. He answered his phone with a silent sigh; he hated it when clients called him.

"_Pearl, at midnight. Be there._"

Kaiden didn't bother answering and simply flipped his phone shut. His eyes met Drake's as a wicked smirk unfurled across his face.

"Let's roll."

* * *

**AN: Wow, this is obscenely short… Thanks for all the reviews, alerts and favs. Drop me a review – let me know what you think about this chapter.**

**Cheers,**

_UponAtlas._


	5. Chapter 4

**IMPORTANT: I've updated all previous chapters, I'd recommend reading them. Just so that the details are there. Cheers, y'all.**

BENEATH THE MASK

Let's see..

**Disclaimer:** My imaginary friend says you're all delusional if you think I own any of these series.

**Warning:** Just cursing.

SUMMARY: Kaiden Grant and his second-in-command, Drake Stanford, are underground Miami's most infamous street racers and even more dangerous crime lords. Ever since they showed up in Miami, they hadn't lost a single race. Kaiden Grant and Drake Stanford were the Kings and everybody knew it. But where had they come from, and why? What dark secrets lay beneath their masks?

* * *

CHAPTER 4

Brian and Rome slowly stepped out of their respective cars. Brian looked at the entrance to Verone's nightclub, _Pearl_, noting the two heavyset bouncers standing watch and the handguns tucked unobtrusively into the back of their waistbands. He felt dread creep through him at the sight. He mentally shook himself. He had known the risk of agreeing to go traitor against Verone like this. He had known the risk and he had agreed to it. He closed his eyes briefly as he gathered himself, before nodding curtly to Rome and strolling past the line of partygoers and straight to the entrance.

"Hey, how're you doing?" Brian greeted the man with a slight smile.

"Good, what's your name?"

"We're guests of Mr. Verone's." The man nodded to one of the bouncers, who gestured them inside with a sweep of his broad arm. Rome sauntered inside with a smug look, which brought a fond smile to Brian's face as he followed his friend. He stepped foot inside and allowed the music to wash over him. Rome whistled lowly, his eyes drifting along the dancers up on the three elevated platforms and all the barely clothed women in the busy club.

"It's a hoe-asis in here, bro."

Brian grinned, bumping his fist with his friend. "Yeah, lot's of potential."

The African-American laughed as he pretended to search his pockets. "Damn boy, you got a pen?" Brian shook his head lightly in amusement as he chuckled. "It's about to get serious, bro! Look at that girl on the swing over there."

Brian couldn't wipe off his elated grin. It was good to see that Rome could still be the goofball that he remembered. There were still things that they needed to hash out over a few more fist fights but for now, they were more or less back to normal. He tapped Rome's elbow when he saw Monica Fuentes weaving her way through the crowd to reach them.

"Hey, you guys did something right," she praised, "Verone _never_ associates with hired help."

"Then what's that make you?" Rome snarked.

She gave him a flat look before turning to Brian. "He's on his way."

"You mean you and Verone don't go everywhere together?" Rome questioned.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Rome cocked his head at her before he sauntered off.

"What's _his_ problem?"

Brian chuckled as he began walking to the bar. "He doesn't trust people that carry badges."

"You talk like you know." She noted, stepping closer to him as he lowered his voice, not wanting to be heard by the people around them.

"Yeah... I'd been a cop for about two months when Rome was busted in a garage raid. He had eight sets of wheels in his possession – each and every one of them were hot."

"So you busted him."

He narrowed his eyes at the Customs officer. "_No_, I didn't. I didn't even know it was going down. But it didn't really matter to him. Basically, once I became a cop, Roman started seeing me as a friend that became the enemy."

Brian had just settled into a seat at the bar with a drink when he noticed the change. It was subtle, just a feel in the air, but it had the hair on the neck of his neck standing on end with nervous anticipation. And he knew why the instant he saw _him_. Wild raven hair that fell forwards into vivid emerald green eyes. A lithe, muscled body clothed in skin tight black denim jeans and a form fitting forest green shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow and the top two buttons left undone, a black tie hanging loosely around his neck. All combined with a devilish smirk that adorned his face as he moved his body to the beat against his companion's own in a manner that was positively _sinful_. Kaiden Grant.

In Verone's club. _Shit_.

He spun his stool around so that he was facing the bar, his heartbeat pounding as he waited for everything to collapse around him. When nothing happened, he risked another glance at Kaiden but the man had his back towards him as he talked to his blonde haired companion, no longer dancing. Brian couldn't help but let his eyes drift along the raven's body, before suddenly feeling the strongest urge to just flee the _fuck_ out of there. Brian stared wildly at the drink in his hand.

"You need to calm down, Brian. You're going to go against Verone soon and being wired up like this is going to give it all away." Monica urged. "Not to mention Kaiden Grant and Drake Stanford. They're _ruthless_, and they'll slaughter you the moment they think you've turned."

Brian twisted his lips into a semblance of a grin as he continued to stare into his glass. Not if Kaiden got to him first for defying the raven by continuing to drive for Verone, he mused, his thoughts a touch hysterical as his hand tightened on his drink.

~BTM~

Kaiden looked around the club with a critical gaze. Drake fought a smile at the look of disdain that was so out-of-place on the raven's usually cheerful face. Kaiden huffed when he turned to the blond. "I can't believe you made me be part of a meeting that was conducted _here_."

Drake finally grinned, unable to help himself. He slung an arm around the younger man's shoulder affectionately as he chuckled. "Not all clubs can be at the same high standard as ours, little brother."

Kaiden wrinkled his nose before his gaze sharpened and he slipped out from under Drake's arm. "Even if I never have to be here again it'll be too soon. I'll be back soon. I've got a little birdy to kill." Kaiden stalked across the room, heading towards Verone's unsuspecting booty call. He leant against the wall as he waited for her to finish her little phone call in the alcove.

"-Verone's trying to get a window open for his drivers. If it happens, I'll tell you as soon as I can. Ten-four**[1]**." Monica pocketed the phone, but jumped, startled, when Kaiden chuckled lowly.

"You know, I think it's considered a little rude to give someone's game play away to their rival." He told her, as he casually slipped his hands into his pockets. "Even among thieves."

"What are you talking about, Kaiden? Roberto and Enrique are not rivals." She quickly slipped into her persona as Verone's booty call. But not fast enough.

Kaiden slapped a hand to his forehead dramatically. "You're right. What am I saying? I don't know anything. I mean, 'Markham' could be Roberto's middle name for all _I _know. Which, of course, is absolutely nothing." Her eyes widened minutely, but it was enough for his suspicions. And his sudden vicious smile was enough to make her pale. He reached out a hand and gently grabbed her chin, in a mockery of a caress, turning her face to meet his eyes directly.

"But what I do know, is that Customs agents sure are getting pretty." He raised a brow at her sardonically. "Don't you think so, Monica?**[2]**" He left her standing there, pale and shaking.

~BTM~

"Dance with me?"

Brian jumped slightly, startled, before he turned to him. "Kaiden. Oh. I, um, sure."

He watched as Brian's eyes involuntarily slipped down his body, lingering at his ass, before jerking back up again. Their eyes met and the blonde blushed when he realised that he had been caught. Kaiden smirked as he slipped his arms around his neck and led him into the midst of the dancers. Kaiden began to sway lighty to the beat, slowly pressing closer to his blonde until nothing was between them.

"So," Brian spoke up, a tad breathlessly, "What's up?"

Kaiden chuckled lowly at how flustered he was, before replying, his voice just as low. "You know, Brian, when we had our little talk about you not driving for another source, I wasn't asking." He slowly traced a finger along the back of his blonde's neck. "Whatever you're playing at... you should realise that this is not a game you'll want to indulge in." He felt Brian shudder under his hands. "Why are you driving for Verone?"

"I took the job before... before _that_." Kaiden smirked at the blush that rose on his blonde's cheeks at the thought of the kiss. "I couldn't back out after that because he'd probably kill me." Blue eyes peeked at him as a shy hand slipped under his shirt to rest on his back. "And... something told me that would make you even angrier with me."

Kaiden felt a predatory smirk lift his lips at that as he pressed closer to the blonde, almost purring in satisfaction. He leant in to kiss Brian's neck lightly, just under his ear. "I'm very happy to hear that." At the double entendre, Kaiden pressed closer, letting him know exactly how much. "Once you finish this deal with Verone, Brian, we'll move you onto bigger and better things. But you'll drive for me, and me only. Got it?"

The blonde let his head fall onto Kaiden's shoulder with a low moan. "Got it."

With a grin, Kaiden backed up a little to give him space to recover, even as they continued to dance. Amusement danced in Kaiden's _avada_ green eyes when his blonde finally worked up the nerve to slide his hand down to rest on his ass. He rolled his hips slightly into the hand and his amusement grew at the sight of pink cheeks. Kaiden chuckled lowly when his phone suddenly buzzed from his back pocket, the vibration from it travelling into Brian's hand and making the blonde jump. He glanced at the caller I.D, and frowned. An international call. "I'm afraid I have to cut our dance short, gorgeous. I have to take this."

Disappointment showed fleetingly on Brian's face, and in response a devilish smirk grew on his lips. "But if you behave, I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to touch this," Kaiden rolled his hips against the blonde's hand again, "later tonight." Brian blushed hotly and he chuckled again, moving away as he answered the call.

"_Harry."_

Kaiden jerked to a stop, his eyes narrowed. "Who the fuck is this?" He hissed.

"_You need to come back, Harry. Bill... Bill's gone missing."_

* * *

**[1] **Ten-four – just old police lingo meaning 'copy that' or 'understood'.

**[2] **A question for you guys: are we ever told what name she goes by when she's undercover? Because I'm following an assumption that she utilises a fake name, which is why Kaiden knowing her real name is not good news for her...

**AN: Okay, sorry to be a massive bitch but if you guys don't review then I don't think I'm going to continue writing this. I'm sorry, but there are more than 130 of you on alert, but only about 3 of you review. I'm not asking for a long spiel of your thoughts, just a generic 'like it/don't like it, update soon' so that I feel like this is worth the time I put into it. Hell, you can even just put a bloody emoticon if you think you don't have the time to type out a full sentence.**

**If you think I'm making a big deal out of nothing, well, then just sod off. T****hose who _have_ reviewed, I'm really sorry for this.**

**- **_UponAtlas._


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